Saturday, January 26, 2013

Glee - Sadie Hawkins


In New York Kurt (Chris Colfer) attempts to adjust to life as a new student at Miata which back home in Lima Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) leads the girls of the Glee Club to organize the school's first Sadie Hawkins Dance. In honor of the occasion Finn (Cory Monteith) allows the female members of New Directions to choose and perform the songs of the week to the boys they wish to take to the dance, creating some hurt feelings and unusual pairings.


Despite Rachel's (Lea Michele) advice against "career suicide" Kurt ponders joining Miata's social outcast show choir, the Adam's Apples, who perform Jonathan Coulton's cover of "Baby Got Back" to try and entice him to join. However, the more he's wooed the less Kurt becomes interested in the club and the more interested (romantically) he becomes in the group's founder.


The performances of the week include Tina singing "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from Jesus Christ Superstar to Blaine (Darren Criss), and Brittany (Heather Morris) and Marley (Melissa Benoist) perform The Exciters' "Tell Him" (a staple song on Ally McBeal) to ask Sam (Chord Overstreet) and Jake (Jacob Artist) to the dance. Songs at the dance include Artie (Kevin McHale), Blaine, Ryder (Blake Jenner), and Joe (Samuel Larsen) performing TLC's "No Scrubs," Ryder performs The Flamingos' "I Only Have Eyes for You" and Marley, Unique (Alex Newell), Sugar (Vanessa Lengies), and Tina perform Bruno Mars' "Locked Out of Heaven."


When Kitty (Becca Tobin) tries to steal Jake for herself by offering a far more sexual evening than he'd likely have with Marley, Puck (Mark Salling) shows up put a stop to her shenanigans only to get a counter offer with an invitation to the dance he can't refuse. And Blaine admits to Tina, who is herself crushing hard on Blaine, his feelings for Sam who has become increasingly obsessed with proving the Worblers cheated at Sectionals by roiding up for their gymnastic-heavy Sectionals performance.


The performances work well, especially the much discussed ripoff of Coulton's song, and the episode gives the young women of the group, particularly the underused Tina a chance to shine. In terms of ongoing storylines there are quite a few new threads including both Marley and Jake and Rachel and Brody (Dean Geyer) agreeing to get serious, the odd (and to be honest illegal) pairing of Kitty and Puck, a new love interest for Kurt, a serious crush that can only end badly for Tina, and a foothold for the Glee Club to rise from the ashes and earn a chance to compete at Nationals.

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